Done with the usual tourist spots north of Munich and looking for hidden gems and unique local experiences off the beaten track?
Forgotten places, green oases, and historical treasures are waiting to be discovered. Here are our 10 personal highlights between Schwabing and Pfaffenhofen. You will find a map with all locations at the end of the article.
Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche (Fröttmaning)
Right next to the Munich-North Autobahn interchange and the eye-catching Allianz Arena, you'll find an often overlooked gem: the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche (Holy Cross Church). The existing church building was probably constructed around 1100 as a brick building with a massive tower and is now the oldest preserved place of worship in the Bavarian capital.
A fragment of the Cross of Christ, which was gifted to the church, became a pilgrimage destination in the late Middle Ages. Today, the relic is kept in an ornate monstrance and can be viewed as part of a guided tour of the church. Also particularly worth seeing are the remains of Romanesque wall paintings from the early 12th century and the ceiling fresco from the Asam School, which was created around 1740.
The church was once part of the hamlet of Fröttmaning. However, in 1953, the city of Munich acquired all the farms and demolished them to build a highway, a sewage treatment plant, and a landfill. Only the church survived thanks to the efforts of dedicated citizens.
Just a few meters away, a full-scale concrete replica of the church can be found, which appears to be sinking into a hill. This is the art project "Versunkenes Dorf" (Sunken Village), which was completed in 2006 and is intended to commemorate the lost hamlet.
Ottenburg Castle
Ottenburg, part of the municipality of Eching, is certainly known to only a few, even though it was home to the region's most significant fortress during the Middle Ages. First mentioned as early as the 11th century, Ottenburg developed into a power center for the Prince-Bishops of Freising and a bulwark against the Bavarian dukes. The conflicts with these secular rulers eventually escalated in 1158 during the Föhringer Brückenstreit (Föhring Bridge Dispute), which is considered the founding moment of Munich.
Today, only a few traces remain of the once-mighty castle. It was first converted into a palace, which was later largely demolished. The remaining structures were eventually integrated into a Late Neoclassical villa, which is now privately owned. Nevertheless, a visit to this history-steeped castle hill is well worth it: visitors can explore the reconstructed castle chapel and enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
Bergl Forest Restaurant
The Bergl restaurant in Oberschleißheim is a real insider tip. Idyllically situated in the forest by the Berglbach stream, this tradition-steeped restaurant is known almost exclusively to locals. Behind the building, you'll find a cozy beer garden with about 200 seats. The menu features classic Bavarian delicacies, ranging from traditional roast pork (Schweinsbraten) to schnitzel with fried potatoes.
You won't find a dedicated website. Information is available on Facebook.
Burial mounds in the Garching Heath
The burial mounds in the Garchinger Heath are a invaluable testament to past cultures. Grave goods found at the site, such as bracelets, sickle-shaped knives, dagger blades, and bronze swords, prove that the burial sites date back to the Bronze Age (around 1500 BC).
Today, the mounds are heavily overgrown and can only faintly be discerned. If you don't want to go searching for them on your own, keep an eye on the event calendar of the Heideflächenverein Münchner Norden (Munich North Heathland Association), which organises guided tours from time to time.
Heideflächenverein: Events
Flyer with map (pdf)
In addition to searching for the burial mounds, a detour to the adjacent Echinger Lohe nature reserve is highly recommended. Afterwards, the Baggersee am Hart (a local quarry pond) is the perfect spot to relax.
Bronzezeit Bayern Museum
High above the Ampertal valley, in what is now Kranzberg, the remains of a Bronze Age wood and earth wall with a system of ditches have been discovered. It enclosed almost 13 hectares, making it the largest fortification of its kind north of the Alps. In the Middle Bronze Age, the site was an important trading center with contacts stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Nile.
The Bronzezeit Bayern Museum uses these 14th-century BC finds to bring "humanity's first golden age" and the European Bronze Age to life.
Munich Airport Visitor Park
The visitor park at Munich Airport may not be a real "insider tip", but it is still not part of the typical tourist program. Here you can experience the fascination of aviation up close. The 28-meter-high visitor hill offers an excellent view of planes taking off and landing. Historic aircraft, an interactive exhibition, and the self-service restaurant “Tante Ju's” with a beer garden round out the offerings.
If you fancy Bavarian delicacies and home-brewed beer, take a short detour to the Airbräu restaurant between the terminals, the world's first airport brewery.
Visitors can also join the "Airport Live Tour", which departs from the Visitor Park’s Airport Shop and offers exciting insights into the operations of an international aviation hub.
Weltwald with St. Clemens Forest Church
The Weltwald (World Forest) near Freising offers a unique nature experience. Along various themed trails, visitors get to see hundreds of tree and shrub species from all corners of the globe, including giant sequoias, bald cypresses, and Japanese umbrella pines.
There are also tranquil places to relax, such as the small forest church of St. Clemens Oberberghausen. The site was once a hamlet with four farms, but these were abandoned in 1883; the church and its small cemetery remain.
Haimhausen Palace
Haimhausen Palace, along with Ottenburg Castle, is definitely one of the lesser-known attractions in the region, which is certainly due to the fact that the historic property, which now houses the Bavarian International School, can only be viewed from the outside.
Only the chapel can be viewed from the inside during services. Nevertheless, the castle is well worth a visit, as it serves as the perfect starting point for an idyllic hike along the banks of the river Amper.
Pilgrimage Church of Mariabrunn
A great destination for a short bike tour is the idyllically situated pilgrimage site of Mariabrunn. Cure all your ailments with a sip from the healing spring and then enjoy a cool beer under the chestnut trees in the beer garden next door.
Scheyern Abbey
The Schleißheim Palace complex is an impressive landmark and was once the residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty, but the origins of this noble family lie elsewhere – namely in Scheyern near Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm. After the Counts of Scheyern moved to Wittelsbach Castle in 1119, they handed over Scheyern Castle to the Benedictines, who used it as a monastery – and continue to do so to this day.
During a guided tour, you will see the Romanesque and Baroque parts of the monastery, including chapels, St. John's Church, and the cloister.
After visiting the monastery, it is well worth taking a hike along the approximately 4 km long Planetary Path (Planetenweg), an educational trail that replicates the solar system to scale.
Overview Map (Google Maps)
